USA - City Theatrical has added two new staff members in two newly-created staff positions. Ken Bruns has joined the company as a salesperson, concentrating on outside sales and increasing CTI's contact with designers, consultants, distributors, production electricians, theatres and other end-users. Prior to joining CTI, Bruns - who holds a BFA degree from Ithaca College - was an account executive at PRG in North Bergen, New Jersey.

Ben Merrick has also joined CTI as new product development manager. Merrick has worked at the Hartford Stage Company, and is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. His role at the company will be to help ensure a steady stream of new products for City Theatrical customers.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - In line with its continuing expansion program, Kelco UK Limited has recently appointed Graham Barron as its new sales manager. Barron brings over 20 years of experience in the lighting industry.

Part of Barron's responsibility will be the ongoing development and sales of Kelco's 'Sensory Engineering' concept - a holistic approach to lighting, sound and aroma installations which the company says is already impacting on the leisure segment.

Kelco's MD David Kelland said: ''In order to move our company forward we felt it necessary to recruit a seasoned sales professional from within our industry. Of those we interviewed, Graham was the candidate who immediately grasped the immense power of Sensory Engineering."

''The technical sector of the leisure and entertainment business is constantly evolving and always searching for innovative, cutting-edge concepts. Sensory Eng

Germany - Meyer Sound has appointed Frank Martin to the newly created position of installation sales manager at the company's office in Polch, Germany. In his new post, Martin assumes responsibility for sales and support for the installation market throughout Germany, as well as in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland.

Martin brings to Meyer Sound more than 12 years of experience in electronic systems sales, installations, and project management, including posts at Atlantic Audio GmbH in Düsseldorf and Neumann-Elektronik Service GmbH in Mülheim, where he gained knowledge in video, telecommunications, and security systems, as well as audio. Those positions schooled Martin in the requirements of installation projects in auditoriums, nightclubs, government buildings, transportation terminals and broadcast facilities, knowledge he is eager to share with his new customers.

"One of t

UK - It is with great sadness that PLASA Media has learned this morning of the death of Tony Gottelier, who passed away peacefully at home at the weekend, following a long illness.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, Tony was one of the most influential lighting designers working in the nightclub and leisure industry, with his ground-breaking design for the famous Camden Palace among his achievements. From 1983 onwards, with Peter Wynne-Willson, Tony was a partner in the innovative lighting design and engineering firm, Wynne-Willson Gottelier (WWG). The company was responsible for many entertainment projects for the leisure and cruise ship industry, and for creating products such as the Razorhead moving searchlight, the Fantôme - an automated version of Robert Juliat's 2.5kW zoom profile, and of course the Catalyst system with its 'orbital movement' mirror-based projection arrangement

USA - Martin Professional Inc has appointed Brad Haynes as the regional sales manager for the Central region of the US. An experienced industry professional with a strong electronics background and a wealth of knowledge in sales, design, technical applications, installation and programming, Haynes founded Bright Ideas LLC in 2002, a successful professional lighting and sound company based in Missouri that specializes in sales, design and installation for theatre, theme parks and architectural installations. He has also worked as an on-staff lighting designer and programmer at Chameleon Productions since 2004.

Haynes starts his new position at Martin on 5 July. His responsibilities as RSM primarily cover Martin's Show, TV and Theatre segments in the central US region although he will also be involved in the Commercial and Public Spaces segments.

Brian Friborg, Martin US Preside

UK - Metro has appointed Danny Whybrow as managing director of its Broadcast Facilities Division, reporting to Peter Wright, Group CEO. Danny will join Metro from Blue Post Production where he was also managing director. In addition, Metro announced the investment of £200,000 of new technology and the appointment of two new bookings staff as part of a major expansion of the Soho-based facility.

Whybrow will be responsible for the broadcast facilities division that works on many projects from shoot to post, including Channel 4's fully HD show Totally Frank and the recent Isle of Wight Music Festival. Joining his current team of 56, will be Karen Hake from Dubbs and Alex Finch from TSI in bookings. The new equipment installed at Metro as part of this expansion will include major HD upgrades for the company's Avid systems, a Sony HD cam SR and Sony lenses.

"I brought D

Germany - With effect from 1 July 2006, Michael Althaus has become the new managing director of MA Lighting International. Althaus, 31, has taken over the position previously held by Ralph-Jörg Wezorke who has built up the successful sales of MA products over the past 20 years. "Michael started working at Lightpower some 11 years ago and has been part of the senior management the last three years. He has lots of experiences in the lighting business and an MBA in business studies," Wezorke explains. We succeeded in getting a top international position with MA. Our next objective is to further develop MA as a leading brand. This requires an independent management momentum of its own. That is why my dual role will now change," says Wezorke.

Wezorke will remain managing director of the main company, Lightpower, at the same time remaining majority shareholder of both

USA - Production Resource Group (PRG) has named Scott Hansen as its chief financial officer, to be absed at the company's office in New Windsor, New York. Since joining PRG in 1997 from Ernst & Young, Hansen has held a series of key positions that have given him hands-on knowledge of the company's diverse locations and areas of operations, says the company.

As, successively, PRG's assistant corporate controller, controller of the lighting division, and corporate controller and vice-president of finance, he traveled extensively to PRG's offices throughout the country and in Europe, helping the company's operations executives refine their asset management and operating procedures. In early 2003, he was promoted to general manager of PRG Audio, based in Mount Vernon, New York and PRG Lighting, based in North Bergen, New Jersey. In 2005, Hansen also became the GM of PRG Video in Mou

USA - Color Kinetics Inc has announced the appointment of John Daly as vice-president of OEM Sales. Daly will oversee the company's worldwide OEM sales and support activities, including the identification and closure of new partnerships intended to increase the use of Color Kinetics' technology across diverse markets.

Daly brings more than 17 years of lighting industry sales and management experience to Color Kinetics, including specific expertise in OEM sales. He most recently served as president and general manager of the 68-year-old Rig-A-Lite division of AZZ Inc, an electrical equipment manufacturer. He previously held sales and OEM management positions at Venture Lighting, GE Lighting and Philips Lighting.

"We are confident in the technologies, expertise and IP that differentiate our OEM value proposition, which many partners have already embraced to bring unique pro

UK - Sandra Cockell, former co-owner of Formula Sound, has announced that she will retire from business life at the end of August. Her husband Tony started the company in 1972 and Sandra joined seven years later. "It was only supposed to be on a part-time temporary basis to help out in the assembly area," says Sandra. "I never envisaged that I would be here until I retired."

The company grew to be one of the most respected award-winning manufacturers in the audio industry and Sandra worked in most of its departments, eventually being responsible for sales.

The company was sold in September 2005 to Naina International, with Sandra agreeing to work with the company for a year to help with the hand-over. "I am really pleased that things are continuing as before with the same loyal and experienced staff who are determined to maintain the high standards whi

UK - Stage Electrics have announced that John Wright has joined their Service Team as a specialist field engineer.

Steve Chappell, Stage Electrics' service manager says: "John has an enormous amount of knowledge and experience, he has been working for Strand for over 40 years and will be invaluable in helping Stage Electrics to continue to support their customers. He is very experienced in system integration, networking and power electronics."

Stage Electrics supports Strand products including the 500 series control consoles; LD90; SLD; and EC21 dimmers by offering commissioning, servicing, and trouble shooting. Over the next few months Wright will receive training on other manufacturers including Zero88 and ETC.

Wright will be available to any dealer or installer who may require his help to support or maintain Strand lighting installations, enquiries should be dir

USA - Aviom is announcing several promotions and staff additions that, they say, reflects the company's rapid growth and support the increasing number of markets for the company's technology.

Aviom co-founder Tom Costello has been appointed chief operating officer from his previous role of vice president. His responsibilities include managing the company's day-to-day operations and product development. Also, central regional sales manager Tom Knesel has been promoted to national field sales manager.

Additionally, the company has added six staff members to its growing team. Kim Treanor has joined as executive assistant to president/CEO Carl Bader; Rachael Morris as graphic artist for the marketing department; Mark Gutekunst as field applications engineer; Kaori Nijinsky as sales administrator; Roland Morris as PCB layout designer; and Nick Minnot has been appointed product tes

UK / USA - PLASA, The Professional Lighting and Sound Association - has announced a number of appointments to strengthen both its UK and US operations.

Jon Petts, formerly with lighting manufacturer Pulsar, has been appointed to the newly-created position of Commercial Manager. He will act as the main point of contact with PLASA members, working alongside the existing team to ensure that members take full advantage of the expanding range of business services available. PLASA is also keen to ensure it has a good understanding of the day-to-day issues faced by members and the new role will be instrumental in further developing the lines of communication.

Petts has many years' experience in both sales and management roles, having worked for several major companies within the industry, including Martin Professional. His knowledge of both the industry and current trends in product

USA - Celestion, a designer and manufacturer of raw frame drivers for the professional audio and musical instrument industries, is pleased to announce the recruitment of Stan Burjek to the role of OEM sales manager (Central and Eastern USA).

Originally from Chicago, and currently based in Illinois, Burjek has a Degree in mechanical engineering and began his career as a design engineer for General Motors, later moving on to become a sales professional. He has worked in the automotive industry for more than 10 years.

Supporting OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) customers in the Central and Eastern part of the United States, Burjek joins established OEM sales manager Rick Skillman in a team headed up by Andy Farrow.

It's all part of a larger growth plan, according to general manager, Nigel Wood: "We are predicting strong growth, coming from a concentrated effort to dev

USA - Gear-Source, Inc. and Rental-Source, LLC have taken on another key member to their sales and development team. Tony Perez joins both companies in a sales role following successful runs with both Coemar US and Robe America, the latter right up until last week. While at Robe, Perez worked as an eastern regional sales manager where he was responsible for the birth of the brand in much of the US market. He grew sales to a very respectable level, then went on to work in special projects. In that role, Perez primarily worked with lighting designers and specifiers, eventually getting Robe Products onto some major American shows.

President of Gear-Source, Marcel Fairbairn says: "Tony is a good friend of mine, and someone I respect for his ability to drive into new markets, and really take care of the customer. We're thrilled to be able to bring him in at this time and happily

USA - L-Acoustics US has appointed Jim Kinkella to the newly created position of Engineering Services. The announcement comes from vice president of sales and marketing Paul Freudenberg, to whom he reports.

Kinkella's appointment allows the Oxnard-based distributor to effectively keep up with the increasing support demands of installations, which require CAD drawings, detailed signal diagrams, and expert Soundvision and Ease translations, among other things. He also serves as an additional technical resource for the sales team as well as for consultants, contractors, sound reinforcement companies and fixed installation clients.

Before joining L-Acoustics US, Kinkella most recently worked as a design engineer at Thomas Gregor Associates in El Segundo. Prior to that, he spent a year in the client service department of Signal Hill-based ATM Flyware, which followed five years of e

USA - Total Structures has announced the forthcoming opening of a sales office in Atlanta, Georgia. The office will be managed by Elmer Veith, who until recently was the long-term sales manager of Atlanta Rigging Systems.

Vice-president Adrian Forbes-Black explains this further expansion: "We have known for a long while that although we have been very strong in the Western and Central areas of the country, the three-hour time difference from the East coast has definitely been a factor in our further growth. With that in mind, earlier this year we consciously decided to look at opening an office somewhere in the Eastern time zone. When the opportunity to employ someone of Elmer's calibre and experience arose the decision to open the office in Atlanta made perfect sense. It's our hope that being in Georgia will allow us easy access to the large markets in Florida and Tennesse

UK - After many years of service to both Stage One and the industry, Simon Whitaker, former MD and founding partner of Stage One, has retired from the company. Mark Johnson, the company's current managing director, said: "I'm sure that many people would like to join us in wishing Simon all the very best for the future."

(Lee Baldock)

USA - Digidesign employees are deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of one of their longest-serving and most valued team members, sales and marketing executive Christopher Bock.

Christopher Bock, or CB as many knew him, had a long tenure with Digidesign, playing a vital role in the company's early success. As long-time vice-president of sales and marketing, CB had recently been transitioning into a new role to focus on building strategic new business areas, the first of which was helping to expand Digidesign's growth in the live sound market.

"It's very difficult for us to accept that CB is no longer with us," said Dave Lebolt, Digidesign general manager. "He was a part of Digidesign from the very beginning. He was a charismatic leader and an excellent strategist, to say nothing of his musical skills as a percussionist. It's hard to convey how strongly this af

Germany - Martin Schlockwerder has been appointed to international sales and marketing manager at Hannover-based speaker manufacturer Kling & Freitag. This division was previously taken care of by Michael Kinzel, who left the company recently.

Schlockwerder was previously employed as the branch manager of Gahrens & Battermann GmbH in Hamburg. Before that, he gained experience in sales and marketing and project management at renowned media and entertainment companies. As a professional musician, a free-lance sound engineer and a project manager, Schlockwerder has well-founded knowledge of the professional audio market.

With a new colleague in the sales and marketing team, Kling & Freitag will be emphasising the increasing relevance of the international market for the company. Schlockwerder will have the opportunity to expand his network of global contacts at the PLASA Show (10-

UK - Tim Searle has been promoted to project manager working from Blackout's London office. He will further develop the installation service offered to clients and is currently working on numerousevents including film screenings at Somerset House. Other projects Searle has managed include a celebration event for Pernod, a corporate seminar for SPS and the Reebok Tennis Event held in Notting Hill Gate, London.

"Having worked for many years in an installation capacity at Blackout, I am delighted to be a part of the project management team working alongside Chris Brain and Kevin Monks," explains Tim Searle.

Steve Tuck, managing director says: "Tim has proved his strong knowledge and experience of the industry and of our core products and services. His excellent technical and people skills ensures that he is well respected by customers and colleagues alike. Tim also

USA - Wybron, Inc. today announced the appointment of Larry Turner as chief executive officer. Turner brings with him more than 25 years of high-technology business experience with companies that include Bell & Howell and Canon.

"Larry has extensive experience successfully building customer-focused teams in fast-paced, highly competitive markets," said Keny Whitright, president and founder of Wybron, Inc. "His marketing and business development experience along with his technology background will be instrumental in building the Wybron brand and developing product solutions. We look forward to drawing on Larry's expertise to continue to deliver innovative lighting systems to our customers."

Turner comes to Wybron from BancTec, a $350 million corporation focused on business process outsourcing and professional services. Turner was responsible for running a $1

USA - Bandit Lites has announced the hiring of Kimberly Ainge as public relations manager. Ainge will be the primary contact for all advertising enquiries, media relations and general public relations.

Ainge was most recently the marketing manager for D1 sports training, a speed strength and agility training company. There, Ainge oversaw all aspects of marketing coordination and media relations. Other previous employers include SpearHall Advertising and PR in San Diego, CA and First Tech Credit Union in Beaverton.

A Portland, Oregon native, Ainge graduated with a BA in Communication Studies from the University of San Diego.

"I am very excited about the opportunity to join a staff of such impressive people," says Ainge. "Bandit Lites, Inc offers a level of customer service that surpasses all of their competition. It is that dedication to pleasing people that ma

UK - Adlib Audio introduces three new managers to its Merseyside-based operation - Dave Jones (PA hire), Roger Kirby (sales) and Peter Abraham (lighting hire).It is the final element of a staged realignment exercise that started 12 months ago and has included a £250K investment in revamping, expanding and re-organising its warehouse and offices and the acquisition of lighting rental operation Adlite by Adlib Audio.

"It's all designed to streamline the company further and ensure we deal efficiently with the massive increase in workload we've experienced over the last two years," explains director Andy Dockerty. He says: "It's also aimed to free up the director's time to focus on actually structuring and 'directing' the company. Apart from that, hopefully I'll also get time to mix more live bands and possibly even embrace the 'digital console revolution' that

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